


Like Real People Do

by knopeswann



Category: Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: F/M, PS it's kind of sad, Steve Trevor Lives, but the fluff comes back i promise, fluffy oneshots ftw, i made backstory for steve trevor, ice cream is today's supporting character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:23:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11304693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knopeswann/pseuds/knopeswann
Summary: Sometimes, a simple conversation over ice cream becomes so much more.In which Steve thinks very seriously about what people do when there aren't any wars.Just a fluffy lil' oneshot that has now been EXPANDED thanks to you lovely readers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, friends; I'm back already! I started writing this at work while thinking about ice cream before lunch and it just snowballed from there. Steve gets a little backstory here, and it's little sad because I'm apparently incapable of writing without at least a little angst, but mostly it's just a big ol' flufffest! 
> 
> Title taken from the Hozier song of the same name.

"I think I like the other one better."

"What!? You have got to be kidding me."

"What? Is that wrong?"

"You have got to be the _only_ woman on earth who doesn't like chocolate."

Diana and Steve were strolling along the streets of London with a pair of ice cream cones. This was not an uncommon occurrence. Ever since Diana had first tasted the sweet frozen treat, it had quickly become one of her favorites. But try as Steve might to have Diana broaden her horizons, her eyes and stomach always chose the creamy vanilla that she had enjoyed so much the first time.

On this warm summer day, Steve had finally convinced her to try the chocolate. She was offput by the brown color at first.

"It looks dirty," she had said, wrinkling her nose and drawing a derisive look from the vendor.

"It's delicious," Steve interjected quickly, "You'll love it, I promise. Two please. Thank you."

"Not all women are the same, Steve Trevor!" She cried. "Fine, is this chocolate your favorite then?"

"Well no..."

"See! There's nothing wrong with me liking the white one better then!"

She looked so smug and triumphant then, he couldn't resist teasing her just a little bit.

"My favorite is definitely the best flavor; it's called butter pecan. It’s just like the white one- _vanilla_ \- so creamy, but with a hint of buttery flavor and a little spice."

Her eyes lit up at the prospect of the new delicious flavor being described as she licked her treat. She swatted his arm playfully.

"Then why are we bothering with this chocolate one?!"

"Wellllll..." he dragged out his words like a taunting child with a big secret "You can't get it here."

Her face fell, confused.

"I've only ever seen it in America."

She pouted, rolling her eyes as his face broke out in wide grin. "You are mean, Steve Trevor."

"Would you love me any other way?" He stopped walking, pulling her close to his chest.

"I suppose not."

She leaned in close, as if to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, only to take her ice cream cone at the last second and smear his nose with the rapidly melting treat. She giggled wildly as she pulled away.

"Oh! And I'M the mean one?" He chuckled as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his nose.

"You should know better than to trick a lady. It is not polite." She grinned.

Steve Trevor would never tire of seeing that beautiful smile.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a quiet night at home later for Steve and Diana. Diana was content, reading a book curled in her chair as usual. Steve was reading the evening paper, or at least he was trying to. But his mind had not rested since he mentioned America earlier that afternoon.

They had been officially living together for a while now. It was just easier and made the most sense. Diana had been staying over more often than not, and Steve would find little pieces of her all over his apartment- a stocking here, a hair pin there. Neither of them cared much for appearances- they had been through hell and back together, and Steve would be damned if something as trivial as social niceties would stop him from living with the woman he loved, married or not. But Steve has given Diana a simple gold band to wear a few months before. He didn't care what people thought. He loved her, and he didn't need a piece of paper or a minister to say so. But he couldn't bear it if some nosy person said anything about their situation to Diana. She was too good and kind for the judging people of this world. She didn't deserve harsh words about her character. He wouldn't stand for it.

It wasn't that he didn't want to marry her. No. That he'd wanted for a long time. It was just something about the timing didn't feel right.

"What do you think about going to America?"

Diana looked up from her book, confused at the sudden question.

"Just to try some ice cream? That seems a little silly, don't you think?"

He chuckled, realizing how absurd his question sounded considering the timing.

"Well no, not just for that. I haven't been back for a few years. I think it's time I make a visit to the family. Well, I mean, _we_ visit. If you wanted, that is."

Now he had her full attention. Studying his face, she closed her book and placed it beside her.

"I did not realize you had much family. You've never mentioned it much."

"Yeah well, we didn't part on the best of terms."

She looked at him expectantly, so he took a breath and continued.

"Remember how I said I'd already tried doing nothing? When the war broke out, America had nothing to do with it. It was Europe's war, and everyone thought it would be over quick," he paused "But it wasn't."

"Some boys back home heard about joining the American Expeditionary Forces. Thought it wasn't right that we were doing nothing while our fellow men were dying. My father and my brothers were some of those guys."

"My oldest brother Charlie was already married, and his wife was pregnant. He couldn't go even though he wanted to. My younger brother George was just barely old enough enlist, but he was so ready. My father thought he was too young, and so everyone looked to me."

His voice caught in his throat.

"I didn't want to go. Didn't think it had anything to do with me. I was young, I was enjoying life. So I wouldn't go. One day, George comes home, says he's leaving tomorrow for Europe. He joined up; must've lied about his age. Couldn't do anything to stop him. We got word a few months later."

She saw tears escaping his eyes now, and he quickly swiped his hand across his cheek.

"Been shot down. Pilots don't last very long. My mother and my brother and sisters were devastated of course. But my father just looked at me. He never said as much, but I could tell he blamed me. I should've gone, I was the older one. George wasn't even old enough to be there. And now he was dead."

She gripped his hand tightly as he continued.

"I joined up pretty quickly after that. I couldn't take it. I had tried doing nothing, and now George was dead. I had to do something. I felt so guilty I didn't even really tell them I was leaving. Just wrote a letter and left early one morning. Haven't been back since." He took a deep breath as he finished his tale.

Diana was speechless. She had no idea that Steve had carried that guilt around for so long. That everything he did was driven by it. His words came back to her.

_"We're all to blame."_

He really did blame himself.

"Steve, listen to me." She spoke very deliberately, " _look_ at me."

"What happened to your brother is not your fault. He made his own decisions. You would probably be dead if you went, and then who would have ended this war? I think your father would be proud of you; to hear all you have accomplished. You are a strong, brave and caring man. You did not do this to your brother."

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

“I think it is very important for you to go back to America; to fix this with your family. And of course I will go with you.”

He smiled at her weakly then, trying to compose his emotions. He looked into her eyes, so earnest, trusting, loving. What the hell had he been waiting for? He suddenly didn’t know anymore.

“Okay, I’ve got another one for you then. A question, that is.” He shot out of his chair nervously, disappearing into their room and making quite a racket. But just a quickly, he reappeared. He hadn’t looked this jittery since she had seen him for the first time back in the healing pools of Themyscira. It seemed like a lifetime ago for all they’d been through.

“Okay, so I should’ve done this a while ago and really I did everything backwards because I bought these at the same time, thinking I would need both eventually…” his ramblings trailed off as his nerves got the best of him.

Diana just stared, puzzled.

“Wait, so was there a question? You said you had another question but I’m not following…”

“OH! Uh, right. Asking would probably help.”

She giggled, confused as ever. Steve Trevor, brave war hero, former spy, was always a very composed, eloquent and charming man. Except for now.

Slowly, he sank down on one knee in front of her.

“Diana, Princess of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, I love you. I’ve loved you since the very beginning. You asked me what people do when there are no wars, and I told you I didn’t know what any of that was like. I never thought I would. I thought I was ready to die that night, but god, I was not ready to leave you. I almost lost you; almost lost my chance to see what that life could be like. We’ve been living that life this past year- the breakfast, the newspapers. And I’ve loved every second of it. There’s a few steps on that list we’ve been missing, so let’s continue. Diana, will you marry me?”

He pulled a small diamond ring out of his jacket pocket, the perfect match to the gold band already on her finger.

After a beat, she spoke through a watery smile.

“I just have one question for you first, Steve Trevor.”

“Anything, Angel.”

“Do you promise we can try that better pecan ice cream when we go to America?”

He laughed then, a laugh happier than any one he had ever had in his life.

“Yes, we will get the _butter_ pecan.”

“Well then, my answer is yes.”

He slid the second ringer onto her finger then, taking her into a passionate and tender embrace. There was still much to be done, a wedding to plan and a trip to prepare. But right now, just for this moment, everything in the world was right.


	2. I Just Want You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana learns that a person can get married a lot of ways, and that humans do not make any sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! This little oneshot is being expanded thanks to enthusiasm from you lovely readers.  
> Currently, I have no idea how long it is going to be. Five chapters sounds about right, but nothing is set!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is a bit of an expansion on the proposal. I hope you enjoy!

When Steve Trevor spoke of America, of his home, he spoke of wide open spaces, with expanses of green and trees for miles. He spoke of lots of snow, certainly much more snow than they had ever encountered in Veld or London, though it wasn’t the time of year for it, he said. He spoke of a creek that flowed just near his house, and of how he had learned to swim within those crisp clear waters as a boy.

So as their boat steamed towards New York Harbor and the city skyline came into view, Diana was unsurprisingly upset.

“This is not how you described your home. This looks just like London. Why is everything always so gray and tall? You man have no appreciation for the beauty of nature.”

Steve chuckled, “this isn’t my home. This is New York City. I live in New York _state_ , in a town called Wappinger Falls. It’s further north from here.”

She rolled her eyes, somehow endlessly disappointed with what man had to offer.

“Who would give them the same name? Are there no creative minds left in this world?”

He shook his head, never tired of her naivety.

“Blame the Dutch, I guess.”

She shot him a confused look, but thought better of asking what that even meant. She found that she didn’t really care to hear more about someone so bad at naming things. She turned away again.

“What is _that?_ ” She pointed ahead at the grand figure in the middle of the harbor.

“Ah, Lady Liberty. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French to greet travelers to our

country.  She was copper colored when they brought her to us. Guess they didn’t think far ahead enough to account for weathering.”

She pouted a little, clearly unimpressed with her first glimpse of the United States. Steve described it as beautiful and green.  The books she’d read described it as a country so prosperous that the streets were paved with gold. Here, from the railing of their ship, she saw evidence of neither.

“That lady better not be the only green I see on this trip, Steve Trevor.”

Steve laughed a hearty laugh then, one that made his body feel warm and fuzzy, like it was floating on air.

“That I can guarantee, oh darling wife of mine,” he took a step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing the side of her head, “That I can promise.”

 

* * *

 

Though they were already married for all intents and purposes when Steve had pulled out that diamond ring and formally asked for her hand in marriage, there was still the matter of making it official. Diana, being unfamiliar with the wedding customs of man, thought that the asking was really at that needed to be done. After the hugs and tears and kissing were through, Diana was all business. She stared down at the two rings on her finger.

 “Well, where do we get that paper you mentioned? Can we go now?” she was reaching for her coat before she had even finished the question.

 “No, it’s a little more complicated than that. I mean, I guess that all depends on _how_ you want to do this to.”

 “What do you mean by ‘how?’ I want to be married to you. Isn’t there a way to do that?”

Steve took her hand gently, guiding her to sit next to him.

“See, there’s not just one way to do that. There’s a few different ways we can get married. Most people will go to a church and go before a minister and swear to God that they will remain together until death do they part. Family and friends come, it’s a whole big affair. But you could also go to the courthouse and go before a justice, bring a witness and be done with it. Some people have a big party afterwards, they go on a honeymoon…”

“Honeymoon?”

“It’s a trip that couples go on right after they get married. To get used to married life, to become… uh… _better acquainted_ with each other.”

Diana was still fairly new to the ways of humans, but she understood _that_ euphemism clearly.

“Well, we don’t need all that. We’re already very _well acquainted_. Do people not usually do that first?”

Steve blushed a bit at the boldness of her question. As much as he thoroughly enjoyed their relationship, especially the physicality of it, it was still hard for him to speak of sex so nonchalantly.

“Uh, no. It is strongly encouraged for people, especially young women, to remain… pure before marriage. It’s generally frowned upon to engage in… relations… beforehand.”

She scoffed, clearly unfazed by the fact that she was continually defying the standards set forth by society.

“You humans do everything so backwards. The Amazons are taught that physical love in a relationship and the pleasure both people can give each other is just as important as the emotional love.”

The back of Steve’s neck grew ever hotter, with images of all manner of pleasures involving Diana- himself with Diana, Diana with a fellow Amazon- crossed his mind… no. He had to focus. This was an important discussion.

“Regardless, that’s just the way it’s done here. I don’t care too much about having a big church wedding, but I think it would be nice to have our close friends there with us.”

“What about your family? You said family and friends especially. We are going to travel to see them. Wouldn’t you want them there as well?”

This particular point was the real reason Steve brought up this discussion. Had it been up to him, Steve would go down to the courthouse right this minute and marry her. No delays, no fuss. He had already spent too much time not being married to this amazing woman. But his family. Not only had they not spoken in a few years, but the last time they saw each other was not the happiest of times. He knew that his mother would be hurt if he were to show up on her doorstep unannounced with a mysterious wife in tow. But he didn’t want to wait until they got all the way to America and back to get married. And what if his mother insisted they have a big wedding in America? He was almost certain that she would, considering their long separation and the grand soiree that Charlie’s wedding had been years before.

Yes, he really did not want a big wedding. He wanted Diana, and their friends, _their family_ , to be there.

Coming back to reality from his thoughts, Steve looked up to find Diana looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

“Here is what I know. I want to marry you. _You_ are my family. I don’t want to spend another minute not being married to you. I say we call up the boys and Etta, tell them to meet us at the courthouse, put on our best clothes and make this official. I’ll write a letter home before we make any travel plans. I have a lot of explaining to do, and that’s something I should probably do before showing up on their doorstep. I’ll tell them all about you, and how wonderful you are. And if my mother wants to throw us a big party, I guess we could let her do that.”

She smiled, her eyes bright with joy.

“That sounds like the perfect plan to me,” she stood up, grabbing her coat once more, “Let’s go, make those telephone calls!”

He laughed, stilling her movements once again.

“Sweetheart, the courthouse is closed until tomorrow. We’ll have to wait a little bit longer.”

“Well,” she said, lowering her voice as she drew her body closer to his “then I think we should be starting our honeymoon early then, don’t you?”

He swallowed hard as her lips began tracing a trail along his neck.

“I think **that** is a brilliant idea.”

Before she could protest, he bent down and lifted her up, bridal style, and carried her towards their bedroom.

“Another marriage custom of humans. The man must always carry his bride over the threshold of their new home.”

She laughed then, a hearty laugh that promised many years of joy and happiness to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit of filler for those of you excited for Steve's family and butter pecan ice cream :) They will come in time, I promise!


	3. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've all got a home, and Steve is finally going back to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you thought Adriana had forgotten about this story?  
> *raises my own hand with all of you*
> 
> Apologies, my lovely readers! I will not bore you with all the details here, but short version is I have been EXTREMELY busy this past month and haven't had a second to write.
> 
> So if anyone is still here, I bring you to Steve's family reunion :)

By the time they reached the little town of Wappinger Falls, it was nearing dusk. Once they had docked in New York Harbor, they had to catch a train at Grand Central Station that would bring them up to Poughkeepsie.  Diana was very confused when Steve informed her they would be taking something called a subway to get across town to catch their train.

“It’s just like the underground, Diana. It’s the same thing, just a different name,” he informed her as her tried to maneuver their bags between his two arms.

She grabbed one from him to relieve his load, “why don’t they just call it the underground then? It’s underground, it makes sense.”

“You’ll find many names here don’t make sense. Speaking of which, are you hungry?” Stopping for a moment, Steve approached a vendor cart and purchased two items.

“Here we have it, a hot dog! I know, it does not even remotely resemble a dog, and I promise it’s not made of one. Eat up!” he spoke confidently, brandishing what looked like a pale sausage nestled in a squished roll. Noticing her skepticism, he coaxed “Come on, I swear you’ll like it. Have I steered you wrong yet?”

“Well, there was the castor oil incident...”

“HEY, you had a cold! How else was I going to get you to take some medicine?”

Eyeing him suspiciously, she took a tentative bite, expecting the worst from such a questionable looking food. But as usual, he was right. It was surprisingly very tasty.

“You win this time, Steve Trevor. Now take me to the underground!”

“Subway, my love, it’s the subway,” he shook his head, knowing there would be no changing this stubborn woman on the matter.

* * *

 

From the train station in Poughkeepsie, they took a cab to his family home in Wappinger Falls. The cab ride wasn’t terribly long, but Steve found himself becoming so incredibly anxious that every bump in the road made his stomach churn. Suddenly, he felt a gentle and reassuring squeeze on his hand. He looked down to see Diana’s hand wrapped around his.  She must have sensed his distress, something she had quite the knack for.  He smiled down at their hands as her thumb traced slow, soothing circles on his, and his eyes fixed on the two rings on her finger.

_You are mine, and I am yours._

Their wedding had been a small affair, just like they had planned, but it was not completely devoid of all the traditions.  When they had called up their friends the next day to see how soon they could all arrive in London for a simple courthouse ceremony, Etta insisted that Diana must at least have a wedding dress. So while Steve made all the other appropriate calls to the boys about getting to city as soon as possible, Diana was whisked away to Selfridge’s with Etta once again to find the perfect attire.

“I’m not sure just what we’re going to be able to get off the rack, but luckily you’ll fit into anything we can find!” Etta prattled on as they entered the doors of the department store, “I’m sure they’ll have something suitable enough. As long as it’s white, I think we can work with it!”

“White? Why white? Wouldn’t it be easier to just find a nice dress in any color?” Diana said, eyeing a gown on one of the mannequins in a lovely shade of hunter green.

“All brides wear white! It has to be white! Queen Victoria herself started the trend years ago and now everyone follows it all over the world. So it’s got to be white! Ah, here’s something…”

Ultimately, the ladies were able to find a simple white chiffon dress that reached down to her calves in drapey layers, with lace detailing on its bibbed bodice.  Perfect, on such short notice, Etta had remarked.  They returned to Diana and Steve’s flat with it wrapped in a garment bag.

“Found it!” Etta announced, “how much time do we have now?”

“Well, until tomorrow actually. Luckily Chief and Sami are in town but Charlie has to take a train from Scotland,” Steve said. He then eyed Diana carefully, “Can I see it?”

“Ooooh, don’t you use your human knowledge against her, you trickster!” Etta chirped, snatching the garment bag from Diana before she could unwrap the dress, “You know it’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding!  I would say she shouldn’t even _be here_ right now but you've seen each other all day so that’s already shot. No, you will have to wait.”

The wait was worth it.  They may have been in a dingy courthouse with London bustling loudly outside, but Steve felt transported to another world when Diana strolled into the room in her wedding dress. She wore her long hair in a simple knot at the nape of her neck, many of her waves finding a way loose of their bindings.  Their friends were there, their vows were simple. Steve had taken Diana’s gold band before they'd left the flat, telling her she’d get it back soon. He slid it onto her finger, guiding it back to its home as he spoke the words.

_To have and to hold. In sickness and in health. Til death do us part._

At Diana’s turn, she added a few words of her own, staring deeply into his eyes.

“You are mine, and I am yours.”

A Themysciran tradition, she had told him later.  He found he liked it better than any of the vows he’d heard before. Later, as they lie in bed together as a married couple for the first time, he whispered these words back to her as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

The car stopping jerked Steve back into the present.

“We’re here,” Diana said softly, giving his hand another squeeze, “I’m glad to finally see some green!”

With their bags unloaded and the cabbie paid, there was nothing left to do. It was time to go home. Taking a deep breath and Diana’s hand once more, they made their way up the front path to his childhood home.  The last time he’d left, he hadn’t even looked back.  It had been so long since he’d seen the old porch swing or the crooked shutter on the parlor window.

“Steve!” a shrill screech alerted them both to the presence of a young woman, bounding down the porch and meeting them on the path.

“That can’t be my little Emily!” Steve responded, dropped the bags and drawing the girl to his chest in a fierce embrace.

“And you must be Diana! Gosh, you really are beautiful. I mean, Steve wrote that you were but you know all men think their wives are beautiful, but you _really_ are!” the girl paused in her gushing, composing herself, “I’m sorry, I’m being an awful host. I’m Emily, Steve’s youngest sister.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Emily. Steve has told me all about you.”

“Oh, well I have plenty to tell you about Steve too then!”

“OKAY,” Steve interjected, placing his arm around his sister’s shoulders and turning her towards the house, “we have more people to see before you poison my wife’s mind with your obviously false tales of my youth.”

Emily giggled as she led the way into the house, where a few people were gathered in the parlor.

“This is our oldest brother, Charlie, his wife Annie and their daughter, Grace. Mama and Sarah are around here somewhere. MAMA!”

“Emily Elizabeth Trevor, what are you hollering for?” a voice trailed down the hallway, stopping abruptly when an older woman appeared in the parlor doorway. A younger woman soon appeared behind her. _That must be Sarah_ , Diana thought.

“Steven,” she breathed, placing her hands over her mouth as sobs threatened to escape.

“Hi, mama,” Steve said sheepishly, crossing the room to take his mother in a warm embrace.

“Don’t you ever disappear that long again!” she cried as happy tears rolled down her cheeks. Sarah moved to embrace him as well as Mrs. Trevor dotted her eyes with her apron. She turned towards Diana, who was standing silently in the center of the room, not wanting to intrude on the reunion. 

“Well now, you must be Diana. It is so lovely to meet you. Some of Steven’s friends were already getting married when he left but he had no interest. We thought he’d _never_ find a girl to settle down with, and never one so lovely looking!” She pulled Diana into a hug, as all the ladies joined in making a fuss over her.

Steve turned to his older brother, frowning, “Where’s dad?”

“Out back, working in the shed.  We all thought you said you wouldn’t be in until tomorrow morning.”

“Guess I’d better go talk to him then,” Steve said gravely. He caught Diana’s eye through all the commotion, and she nodded her head slightly at him, knowing what he needed to do.

“It will be fine, Steve,” Charlie reassured, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No thanks, this one I think I have to do alone.”

He slipped out of the parlor then, heading into battle once again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe next chapter will be the last one! Hopefully it will be coming much sooner. I've been so swamped with parties, holidays, birthdays and work in the past month that I couldn't find time to update, and I can't say that I'm in love with this chapter. :( but I'm pretty much free until I leave for vacation in 3 weeks so I will definitely update before then! 
> 
> As always, thank you all for reading, I appreciate it more than you know!


	4. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had a lot to apologize for. In truth, they both did.
> 
> In which Steve finally confronts his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely readers! Luckily this update came much sooner than the last! I believe there will be one more chapter after this. I think this one might be a little shorter than usual? But it seemed a good place to end. I hope you enjoy, and thank you, as always, for reading.

“So how did you two meet then?”

“We worked in the same office in London during the war,” Diana lied smoothly.  They had invented this cover story soon after the war had ended and she began spending more time at his flat.  They couldn’t very well tell people the _real_ story, but at least it had a slight element of truth.

“Forgive me for saying so, but your accent is very different from anything I’ve ever heard. I can’t quite place it. You’re not from London originally, I assume?” Sarah asked delicately.

Diana had quickly learned that while Steve’s middle sister was not nearly as straightforward and bubbly as his younger one, she was every bit as curious.  Just more tactful about it, perhaps. Diana chuckled. This story had been a bit harder for them to weave.

“I moved around very often as a child. My parents were missionaries, so I lived all over. My language ability is what led me to the British Intelligence office where Steve also worked out of.”

“Have you seen Paris??” Emily gushed, “Paris always looks _so_ lovely in photographs, I wish I could go someday.  I asked Mama if I could finish my schooling there and then I could meet other fashionable young ladies, but she said it’s impractical.” She pouted.

“Well she’s right, you know,” Sarah chided her younger sister, “There’s nothing you could learn in Paris that would benefit you more than what you could learn right here.”

“You only say that because you found a country boy you like and now you’re going to stay here forever like everyone else. I want to travel.  Just like Steve did!”

Sarah blushed at her little sister’s mention of her budding courtship. “Steve went to war, that’s much different,” she retorted quietly.

“I have been to Paris, it is very nice. But it is like any other city. I prefer more wide-open spaces and nature, like you have here. London gets awfully stuffy sometimes, if I’m being perfectly honest,” Diana interjected.

Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Steve’s mother, brandishing a tray of iced tea, lemonade and cookies. Earlier, Annie had gone upstairs to put Grace down for a nap, and Charlie had excused himself for a smoke outside, so Diana found herself alone with all the Trevor women.  Looking at the three ladies, Diana noticed a strong resemblance between the three, but it was not one that they shared with Steve. They all had the same brilliant blue eyes, and Sarah had the same sandy brown hair, but both girls strongly resembled their mother otherwise.  _He must look like his father_ , Diana mused.

“I wonder where the boys are. Surely the prospect of our ladies’ talk hasn’t scared them away,” Mrs. Trevor tried to sound lighthearted as she spoke, but a sense of nervousness crept into her tone.

“Steve just went to bring daddy in. I’m sure they’ll be in any minute,” Sarah said quietly, eyes focused intently on her plate.

* * *

 

“Hey, dad.”

His father visibly tensed at the sound of his voice, but he did not turn away from his workbench.

“I’m surprised you announced you were coming this time, given how you left last. And you’re here earlier than we expected; always keeping us guessing, Steven.”

“Well you know, I thought I’d give Mama some notice. It’s been a while since I’ve been back in the states, a lot has changed for me… the whole wife thing…” Steve trailed off.

“Oh yes, the wife. Really, that was the most surprising part of your letter. You never were interested in settling down and getting serious. What’s it been? Two years, three years, since you up and left? Guess you did some maturing after you disappeared. Good for you,” there was a bitterness to his voice, and still his father did not turn.

“You know why I left, dad. You told me, I could do…”

“You could do nothing, or you could do something. Yes, I know what I said. That doesn’t mean you go do something by disappearing in the night! Do you know what they did to your mother, to find that note that morning and you long gone? Emily cried for days, convinced you’d be gone just like George was,” his father’s voice grew louder as he finally turned to look upon his son.

“That look. _That’s_ why I left, dammit! I couldn’t stand to see you looking at me like that every damn day. Like _I_ was the one that had pulled the trigger and killed George. George made his own decisions, dad. I’m sorry,” Steve’s voice broke, “I’m sorry he’s dead. I will be sorry every day for the rest of my life. But you and I both know that if I went, George would’ve followed. He was going to do what he thought was right no matter what anyone else did.”

            He ran his hands through his hair. Frustrated and unable to look his father in the eye, he paced.  His father stayed silent a long moment before speaking softly.

            “So you thought the best thing to do was to go where your brother had died? To follow in the footsteps that took him to his grave? And then to survive, but to never return to us? I lost two sons back then.  That’s never, _ever_ what I wanted for either of you.”

            He took a deep breath before continuing.

            “When George died, I realized just what this war cost the world. That fighting for what is right is fine and dandy until that fight brings death to your doorstep. I couldn’t forgive _myself_ for making you boys think that war was some great honor and that _you_ had a job to do to make things right. It wasn’t your fight. It wasn’t _anyone’s_ goddamn fight. And I lost my son because of it.”

            “It wasn’t. It was just _awful_ , awful what people can do to each other,” Steve spat.

            “I’m sorry that you had to go through that, Steve.  I’m sorry that I ever made you think you _had_ to go through it,” he looked into his son’s eyes then, “It’s good to have you home. We’ve missed you.”

            “I’ve missed it too,” Steve shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot, unsure where to go next, “Sooo… would you like to come meet my wife?”

            “More like I’d like to see if this wife is real. I find it very hard to believe you actually found a girl who would settle down with you,” he nudged his son as they walked side by side towards the house, “You know, there’s many a local girl with a broken heart now that you’ve come back with a wife though. They sure did fall for the devilish grin; God knows why.”

            Steve chuckled at the mention of his former antics in his youth. “She’s something else, that’s all I can say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So timeline wise, I put this at about 1920, since WWI ended at the very end of 1918 and Diana and Steve had been living together for over a year. I have Steve leaving right in 1917, so that's where his father's 2 or 3 years comment comes from.  
> I definitely aged Steve down a little bit. I'm putting him as around 26ish here, so he would've gone to war at 23.  
> As far as his siblings go, I see his oldest brother Charlie as 28, Steve is 26, George would've been 21ish (he enlisted before his 18th birthday), Sarah is 19 and Emily is 16.


End file.
